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Jan 03, 2023 18:30pm

In the Cover of Darkness

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I remember my parents giving me a curfew when I reached the age of going out on the weekends. No longer was I just going to stay the night at Ashley’s and ride the golf cart and make music videos of that old time rock and roll. I wasn’t headed over to Danae’s for a scary movie night, cruise on the scooter or to sleep out on the trampoline. And I was definitely past the age of being at Elizabeth’s riding on the back of that lawn mower, kickin’ it into high gear and getting thrown off the back, just to jump on and do it all over again.

Now, I was headed to town. To me, it was an exciting place! In Batesville, they had a place they called “wild side”. When I was younger and heard the older kids talk about it, I thought it was an actual place, like a club or something.

It wasn’t.

It was the strip that everyone cruised. You started at the Citgo and made the loop by the river and the golf course and came back to drive around Taco Bell and do it over and over again. Every school had their hangout spot, too, so you would know exactly where to find your friends.

We’d whoop and holler at people, honk our horns, blast our music loud and stop into McDonalds for some chicken nuggets.

But you had to get it all in before curfew.

I complained to my parents about how my curfew was too early and I needed more time. I’d always throw something out there like, “don’t you trust me? Why can’t I have a late curfew like ‘so and so’ has!?” And they always responded with the same thing, “because nothing good happens after 11 o’clock.”

Obviously, I thought, that’s ridiculous. But they were right. As time passed, I realized just what went on as it got later and later in the night. There were certain people that never came out until midnight. After 12, that cruise strip had a different crowd. Businesses were closed. Lights were out. Cars with windows so dark you couldn’t see inside.

What was hiding in the cover of darkness? What didn’t want to be seen? What or who would run if the lights were suddenly spotted on them?

“In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.” (Matthew 26:55)

We covered this scripture in yesterday’s devotional, but I wanted us to look at it just one more time. Why did these men come at night to take Jesus away? Why did Judas think night would be best? Why did the Romans choose darkness over light?

In the cover of darkness is where sin reigns. It has the freedom to run rampant and cause destruction because it’s hidden from the world. If they had come in the day, there would be many people there and Jesus’ followers might have turned on the soldiers. They were afraid of the number of people who were gathering around Jesus every day and couldn’t risk it.

Judas knew Jesus. He knew what He did each morning and each night. He knew when the most people would be present, and when they could find Him alone.

In the cover of darkness Judas led a group of soldiers to arrest Jesus. In the cover of darkness, Judas thought his treachery would be hidden, that it wouldn’t be seen by as many people.

But when the light shines, the darkness flees.

What do we think is hidden by the cover of darkness? What sinful acts are we a part of that would shame us if it were revealed by the light?

Let’s not look down on Judas and his sins without taking a hard look on our own.